UNGIS High-Level meeting
United Nations Group on the Information Society (UNGIS)
Session 130
UNGIS serves as an inter-agency mechanism to coordinate substantive policy issues facing the United Nations system’s implementation of the Geneva Plan of Action and Tunis Agenda for the Information Society adopted by the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), thereby contributing to improving policy coherence in the UN system, as requested by the 2005 World Summit. Subsequently, pursuant to Para 46 of the GA Resolution 62/208, UNGIS also ensures coordination within the United Nations development system in order to respond to the international attention being given to science and technology transfer as reflected by the outcomes of the 2005 World Summit. UNGIS consists of 31 UN system entities as members (i.e., those represented at the CEB) and 17 UN entities as observers.
UNGIS Members emphasize that the WSIS process is a continually evolving process involving many UN agencies, guided by mandates from annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) resolutions, as well as resolutions from several UN agencies involved in the implementation of the WSIS process.
UNGIS’ objective is to develop extensive collaboration and partnerships among the CEB members in order to contribute to the achievement of the WSIS objectives, to help to maintain ICT-related issues as well as science and technology at the top of the UN Agenda and finally to mainstream ICT for Development issues in the mandate of CEB members.
UNGIS represents a valuable and well-established interagency mechanism for cross-sector cooperation in the area of digital development, with two decades of experience in the field and reaffirm its commitment to assisting Member States in implementing WSIS outcomes and preparing for the upcoming WSIS+20 review process.
Kaan Cetinturk was appointed Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Director of UNICEF Information and Communications Technology Division in Valencia, Spain, in October 2024. In this role, Kaan leads a global team of ICT and Technology for Development staff, driving results for children using cost-effective, innovative, and digitally enabled solutions, as well as leading the digital transformation of the organization.
Kaan brings over 25 years of progressive technical and leadership experience in the private sector and several United Nations agencies. Before joining UNICEF, Kaan was the CIO and Director of the Digital Impact, Technology, and Innovation Department at UNRWA Headquarters in Amman, Jordan since 2018. He has led digital transformation efforts for UNRWA, specifically in the Education, Health, Relief and Social Services, as well as administrative areas.
One of his major achievements in this role was the creation of an IT Service Center in Gaza, employing Palestinian refugee youth. Prior to this role, he was the Head of Global IT Operations at the World Health Organization in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and led the Business Process Management practice at WHO in Geneva, Switzerland for nine years. Cetinturk has also worked in the private sector in Brussels as a consultant in Warehouse Management, Supply Chain Execution and Business Process Management.